Ross James Wallet (43), a renowned photographer and climber who was active in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State, fell to his death near the summit of Mount Fury in North Cascades National Park on the 18th.Wallet was climbing Fury’s “Finger” section, 8,100 feet above sea level, with Eric Gilbertson, a renowned mountaineering researcher at Seattle University (SU), when he lost his grip and plummeted 200 to 300 feet.
Rescue teams arrived by helicopter after receiving a report and attempted CPR, but he eventually died.
The deceased’s father, Roland Wallet, said, “My son loved both mountaineering and photography. He had already climbed Fury, but this accident was so sudden.”
The Wallet family, originally from Montana, traveled to Alaska and Oregon before settling in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State. Ross was planning to study music at Central Washington University but changed his major after becoming fascinated with photography. After graduating, he built a career photographing portraits and weddings.
Last September, Wallet achieved a personal goal by becoming the 94th climber to complete the “Bulger List,” the 100 highest peaks in Washington State. After a broken ankle that halted his efforts for several months, he recovered and achieved his dream by summiting the final seven peaks. Some of his climbing records are recorded in YouTube videos.
The local community, mountaineering, and photography communities are in shock and grief at the loss of a talented climber and artist.